This is depressing and makes me think back to the dead coots which were discovered last winter at Stewart Park. So, in addition to loss of plant diversity, inevitably leading to loss of all diversity, decreased O2 in the water and depreciation of habitat quality, we have a pathogen living in large densities on this plant. According to the Pdf I received from Todd, there are significantly sized mats of this already floating in our waters. Geo Kloppel reiterated to me the findings that this plant can also be spread by migratory waterfowl and recommendations resulting from this are that birds be encouraged to move on. I am pasting his email below, as I believe he only sent it to me.
Hi Linda, Hydrilla verticillata reached lakes in Massachusetts a few years ago, and the Mass. Dept of Conservation and Recreation commissioned a Rapid Response Plan, available online: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/watersupply/lakepond/downloads/rrp/hydrilla.pdf Noting that migratory birds may introduce and spread Hydrilla, the plan has this to say about bird control: Quote: "It may be advisable to implement bird controls to limit bird contact with infested areas; scare tactics (e.g., flags or pinwheels on buoys, noisemakers) can be effective for short time periods, which may be all that is necessary for lakes with migratory populations. Greater effort may be needed for lakes with substantial resident bird populations." Perhaps Chris will think this is enough of this discussion. But thanks for allowing it this far. Best Linda On Fri, Sep 9, 2011 at 12:55 PM, Alicia Plotkin <[email protected]> wrote: > ** > Hi All, > > I wondered if there were specific ecological problems involved when > hydrilla invades, beyond the loss of plant biodiversity, and asked a friend > who works in the field if hydrilla poses specific dangers to birds and other > flora/fauna. She said there are several but she is tied up with a deadline > today and could give only a quick answer. She referred me to a paper that > describes how once hydrilla gets established and forms dense mats, those > mats can harbor micro-organisms that are fatal to waterbirds (mostly coots) > & raptors that prey on them (mostly eagles). A summary of it is > here<http://www.forestry.uga.edu/swilde/>. > Others on this list will be far more knowledgeable about the details of all > this than I am. > > Of course, this doesn't address the question of what control measures > are appropriate, but it does seem as though failure to act could cause > problems for creatures besides boaters. > > Alicia > > > > > On 9/9/2011 8:55 AM, Linda Orkin wrote: > > I want to thank Dave for his appropriately in depth email about hydrilla. I > forwarded Dave's email to Todd Bittner from the Natural Areas, Cornell > Plantations and his response is below. I have not included that attachment > that he sent me, a pdf file which gives much more info about the current > status of the plant here. If anyone would like me to sent this to them, > email me off list and I will forward it to you. > > Thanks, > Linda > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Todd Bittner <[email protected]> > Date: Fri, Sep 9, 2011 at 8:16 AM > Subject: RE: [cayugabirds-l] OT: herbicide for Cayuga Inlet invasive plant > To: Linda Orkin <[email protected]> > > > Hi Linda. > > > > I have not personally worked with aquathol, so am not the best resource for > issues pertaining to off target impact. However, I have been following this > conversation through conference calls each week with interested parties, and > can say definitively that this is an environmental emergency. Note the > response that is proposed has been widely used across the US for years in > response to Hydrilla. The impacts of the treatment should be weighed > against the impacts from inaction or slow action. If this invasive isn’t > controlled now, the inlet and lake edge fringe will be a solid monoculture > mat of hydrilla, impacting the natural resource, recreation, and aesthetics > of the lake ecosystem. I have attached some additional info too. > > > > *From:* Linda Orkin [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* Friday, September 09, 2011 6:43 AM > *To:* Todd Bittner > *Subject:* Fwd: [cayugabirds-l] OT: herbicide for Cayuga Inlet invasive > plant > > > > Todd. Do you have an opinion about this herbicide. Let me know. > > > > Thanks > > > > Linda > > Sent from my iPhone > > > Begin forwarded message: > > *From:* Dave Nutter <[email protected]> > *Date:* September 8, 2011 10:22:40 PM EDT > *To:* <[email protected]> > *Cc:* <[email protected]> > *Subject:* *[cayugabirds-l] OT: herbicide for Cayuga Inlet invasive plant* > *Reply-To:* Dave Nutter <[email protected]> > > This summer an invasive plant called HYDRILLA VERTICILLATA was > discovered in Cayuga Inlet. > > I am told that: > > * it grows rapidly > > * it clogs waterways preventing boating > > * it shades out other species of water plants > > * the nearest place it is known is Long Island > > * it is not yet in the Great Lakes, but could get there from here > > * it is now on about 9 acres but by next year it could be 90 acres. > > * it can take root as deep as 12 feet below the water surface > > > > The greatest concentrations of it are at > > * the RED LIGHTHOUSE JETTY > > * the mouth of Cascadila Creek and adjacent Johnson Boatyard & Farmers' > Market > > * the area around the Cornell & IC crew boathouses and the lagoon > immediately to the north > > * plus various places south as far as the Route 89 bridge. > > > > The City of Ithaca (and perhaps DEC and other groups) plan to try to > eliminate the Hydrilla this fall by pulling the rooted plants using scuba > divers where necessary and by applying to the individual plants an herbicide > called AQUATHOL K Aquatic Herbicide > > > > It will probably happen within the next few weeks. If anyone has reasons > this should not be done or advice how or when to apply it to maximize > effectiveness or minimize the effects on wildlife - such as the birds which > rest and feed around the red lighthouse jetty - please contact: > > > > ROXANNA JOHNSTON, > > Watershed Coordinator > > <[email protected]> > > 607-273-4680. > > > > More specific info on the heribicide: > > The active ingredient (40.3%) is Dipotassium salt of endothall > > (7-oxabicyclo [2.2.1] heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic acid equivalent 28.6%). > > 4.3 pounds per gallon > > EPA Registration No. 70506-176 > > EPA Establishment No. 62171-MS-003 > > Manufactured by: > > United Phosphorus, Inc, > > 630 Freedom Business Center, Suite 402, > > King of Prussia PA 19406, > > 1-800-438-6071 > > www.upi-usa.com > > > > It is water soluble and will diffuse from where it is applied. > > It is toxic to fish. > > It is toxic to wildlife. > > It is corrosive and coauses irreversible eye damage. > > It may be fatal if swallowed. > > It is a contact herbicide, "effective against a broad range of aquatic > plants" at dosages in the range of 0.5 to 5.0 ppm dipotassium endothall. > > It may be sprayed on the water surface, or injected below the surface. > > > > There are formulas given for how much to use and how frequently in various > situations. > > > > If you think this is liable to be ineffective or terribly detrimental to > wildlife, please also let me know, and I may be able, as a landowner near > the Cayuga Inlet, to influence the situation. > > > > --Dave Nutter > > > > > > --Dave Nutter > > -- > > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > > Subscribe, Configuration and > Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > > *Archives:* > > The Mail > Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > > *Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/> > !* > > -- > > > -- > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and > Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail > Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > *Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/> > !* > -- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.901 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3886 - Release Date: 09/09/11 > 02:34:00 > > > -- > *Cayugabirds-L List Info:* > Welcome and Basics <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME> > Rules and Information <http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES> > Subscribe, Configuration and > Leave<http://www.northeastbirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm> > *Archives:* > The Mail > Archive<http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html> > Surfbirds <http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds> > BirdingOnThe.Net <http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html> > *Please submit your observations to eBird<http://ebird.org/content/ebird/> > !* > -- > -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
